Match practice required

Fridrikas is optimistic after Standfest’s departure

Lukas Fridrikas did not have an easy start at Altach.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

25 goals in 53 games for Austria Lustenau, 33 goals in 75 games for FC Dornbirn. Lukas Fridrikas undoubtedly knows where the goal is. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old struggled after his move from Lustenau to Altach. That should change after the change of coach at the Rheindörfler.

Just under a week ago against Salzburg, Lukas Fridrikas made only his second appearance in the SCR Altach starting line-up. And scored his first goal for his new employer, his 20th in the Bundesliga. "It was a very special goal for me because it ended a dry spell. A striker lives from goals," says Fridrikas, "I can only get better if I get match practice. I'm sure I'll play better in the fifth game in a row than I did in the first."

Things did not go well for the striker at Klagenfurt Austria.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Bad memories of Klagenfurt
Fridrikas does not have fond memories of his next opponents, Austria Klagenfurt. The 26-year-old moved from Wacker Innsbruck to Austria Klagenfurt in January 2022. But he never got going there. The striker failed to score in eight games and his two-year contract was terminated. The move to Lustenau was a blessing in disguise for him, his goalscoring instinct returned and he scored 19 goals for the Green-Whites.

In Altach since the summer
After Austria's relegation, Fridrikas was one of the few players to find an employer in the Bundesliga again. In the summer, he followed his girlfriend Rieke Tietz to Altach; the German is an important part of the women's team. "That's what I wanted to be with the men, but I didn't get many opportunities to play," says Fridrikas about his time under former coach Joachim Standfest.

Altach's new coach Fabio Ingolitsch recently started Fridrikas from the beginning.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Now, however, the Vienna native is confident that Fabio Ingolitsch will continue to rely on him in the next Bundesliga games. "The new coach has brought a new energy to the team. I am convinced that we will soon achieve the results that many of us have been expecting since the start of the season," concludes Fridrikas.